Pasuwa: It’s up to Yann to challenge me that he wants to be in squad next year

Ivory Coast-born forward Yann Kouakou has become the latest diaspora player to earn a Malawi call-up, joining a growing list of naturalized players being recruited to strengthen the Flames’ physical profile.

For nearly eight years, Malawi national team coach Kalisto Pasuwa has consistently emphasized one priority: finding players with the right physical attributes. From his days at FCB Nyasa Big Bullets to his current role with the Flames, the Zimbabwean tactician has maintained his focus on recruiting tall, strong athletes to compete at international level.

The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has aligned with this vision, actively tracing players with Malawian roots abroad. Body stature has become a key criterion in their recruitment strategy, reflecting Pasuwa’s belief that physical presence is essential for competing against top African sides.

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The 26-year-old Kouakou, born in Treichville, Ivory Coast, and holder of French citizenship, has now acquired Malawian nationality and received his first call-up for the Flames’ upcoming international friendlies against Lesotho. The Europa Point FC striker, who plays in Gibraltar, qualifies through his Malawian-born father.

“I am very excited to join the squad. My father was born in Malawi and everything is about Malawi, but we had some difficulties. Now we stayed in contact with the federation, then I was called,” Kouakou told FAM media.

The forward, who came through Paris youth academies as a midfielder, has since transitioned into a striking role. “When I became professional, I became a striker. Not a kind of striker to stay in the box, but to try to play,” he explained, describing himself as more of a number nine than a number ten.

Pasuwa’s Assessment

After Kouakou’s first training session with the squad in Blantyre, Pasuwa offered a cautious assessment. “Yann has trained with us for one day. We will have to assess him and give him a game to see whether he will be part of next year’s squad or not. But he is one player who is good, with a big body, which we are looking for—a striker that can lead the attack. We wish him the best, and he can only show that he needs to be part of us.”

Kouakou joins several other diaspora players who have recently broken into the national setup. Mayele Malango, who grew up in Malawi after fleeing political instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo before relocating to America, has made three appearances for the Flames against Namibia, Liberia, and São Tomé and Príncipe.

Babatunde Adepoju, who obtained citizenship through naturalization, has also earned opportunities under Pasuwa, fitting the physical profile the technical team seeks.

Pasuwa confirmed that the recruitment drive will continue. “We are still calling for more Malawians in the diaspora to come out and get the chance to play for their country. We had also called up 20-year-old Luciano Rados from America, whose younger brother Ellie was part of the under-17 team, but unfortunately he failed to come because of an injury he sustained last week.”

The coach defended his approach, arguing that incorporating European-based professionals is necessary to elevate Malawi’s competitiveness. “The stage that we are in is higher level—this is the national team. Most teams that we will be playing will be having players from Europe. It’s the attitude of a professional coming to Africa and saying ‘I want to play for my country.’ It’s up to the local players to try to push up. They are being given the other side of football, and then we make up a good squad for AFCON.”

Kouakou will join the national team camp ahead of the double-header against Lesotho on Saturday in Blantyre and Tuesday in South Africa, where he will have his first opportunity to prove he belongs in Pasuwa’s long-term plans.